The snow fell heavily over the Qi capital.
A day later, the whole capital was a single sweep of white.
Walk the streets of the capital, and with every breath in and out of the common folk you could see the white puffs of vapor.
Apart from seeing Lord Zhang off when he left the capital, Xiao Mo had done nothing but read in his inn.
Before anyone noticed, the weather had warmed, and it was already early in the third month.
That day, on Xuanwu Avenue, the road from the capital to the Examination Hall, the roadside stalls and peddlers had all been cleared away.
It was the day of the metropolitan examination.
Searched top to bottom, Xiao Mo entered the examination compound and found his own cell.
The examination was divided into three sessions, one a day.
The first session, on the first day, was poetry and rhapsody.
One shi or ci poem and one fu were required, and this was the most important session in all of Great Qi, deciding outright whether a man was admitted as a jinshi.
The poetry topics were usually set fairly freely.
But the topics for the fu came mostly from the Confucian classics, the histories, or imperial edicts.
What this session tested was literary flair, meter and rhyme, and parallel couplets.
The poetry topic was "The Bright Moon."
Xiao Mo wrote out a "Prelude to Water Melody: When Did the Bright Moon First Appear?"
The topic for the fu was the rise and fall of a state.
Xiao Mo wrote a "Rhapsody on the Chunli Palace" in imitation of "The Epang Palace"; as it happened, this world had so many dynasties and such a rich history that allusions to stand in for those of the Epang Palace fu were easy enough to find.
In this first session, never mind the rest—secure the jinshi qualification first and worry afterward.
Second session: the discourse.
One lun, a discourse, was required.
It was much like the argumentative essay of the gaokao in Xiao Mo's last life: take some historical event, principle of governance, or philosophical proposition, and expound on it.
It tested the juren's insight, his logical thinking, and his writing.
Third session: policy questions.
Five policy questions—a test of practical administrative ability, touching on concrete matters of politics, economy, military affairs, law, and the people's livelihood.
When the three days were done and Xiao Mo walked out of the examination compound, he felt as though a lifetime had passed between him and the world outside.
As to whether he would pass, Xiao Mo was still fairly confident.
So long as he got through the metropolitan examination, the palace examination would be fine.
In Great Qi, the three grades of jinshi—"jinshi with honors," "jinshi by rank," and "jinshi of the same rank"—did start a man off at different heights.
But what mattered most was still how a man fought and clawed his way through officialdom afterward.
Morning, ten days later.
As the bell on Xuanwu Avenue rang out, not far from the palace gates, Lord Fang, the Minister of Rites, under the escort of soldiers, personally posted the spring list.
Juren packed in beneath the list, craning their necks.
"I passed!"
"I passed too!"
"Young master! Where did you place?"
"Fiftieth! Hahaha!"
"Quick, grab him!"
"I didn't pass... I didn't pass..."
"Hahaha, twenty-second! Hahaha!"
"This twenty-second fellow—haul him back to the mansion!"
The results had barely been posted before men were already seizing grooms from beneath the list.
Seeing himself at the very top, Xiao Mo did not dare make a sound; terrified that someone would carry him off and refuse to let him go until he was married, he slipped quietly away.
But a man can hide for an hour, not for a lifetime—in Qi, the inns where juren lodged all had to be reported to the authorities.
How could a huiyuan like Xiao Mo stay hidden?
It was not long before the great and powerful of the Qi capital came charging into the inn where Xiao Mo was staying.
Fortunately, Zhang Qianzhi had made preparations long before; he had foreseen this day before leaving the capital.
Miss Zhang set guards at the door of Xiao Mo's room and forbade anyone to disturb him.
Unlike other sheltered daughters of great houses, Miss Zhang was often out in public and was a name of some note in the capital; plenty of people knew her.
Seeing that Miss Zhang had come, the rest naturally dared not make trouble.
"Many thanks, Miss Zhang." Xiao Mo bowed to Zhang Shuijing with his hands clasped.
"No thanks needed, Xiao Huiyuan," Zhang Shuijing said with a smile. "Though I fear that by bringing my people here today, the whole court will now know that you are my father's man."
"I have been for some time," Xiao Mo said calmly.
Ever since he had been named xieyuan, he had been Lord Zhang's man—to say nothing of his later visit to Mr. Zhang.
But Xiao Mo had been prepared for this all along.
How could a man stand at court without taking sides?
As things stood, he stood with Lord Zhang—which meant with Chancellor Fang.
Zhang Shuijing nodded and smiled, and said no more.
Ten days later, the palace examination.
Qi's palace examination was different: there was no written answer; instead the scholars appeared before the sovereign one after another.
The scholars all lodged in the outer palace and could not leave until every one of them had had his audience; it usually lasted two or three days.
The order of audience was decided by lot.
Xiao Mo's luck was poor, and he drew the last.
On the third day, Xiao Mo walked into the great hall.
In the great hall sat the ruler of Qi, Chancellor Fang, and the ministers of the Six Ministries.
Everyone knew of the bond between Xiao Mo and Zhang Qianzhi.
Everyone knew that "Edict of Grace."
And by now everyone knew the "Prelude to Water Melody: When Did the Bright Moon First Appear?" and the "Rhapsody on the Chunli Palace" as well.
When Xiao Mo entered, nearly every eye turned to the chancellor seated at the emperor's side.
Xiao Mo already counted as Zhang Qianzhi's student, which made him Fang Ling's junior fellow disciple.
After Xiao Mo came in, Fang Ling closed his eyes and said nothing, neither listening nor looking.
"This student Xiao Mo greets Your Majesty and pays his respects to all the lords," Xiao Mo said, and made a solemn bow.
"When did the bright moon first appear? Cup in hand, I ask the blue sky; I know not, in the palaces of heaven, what year tonight might be." The ruler of Qi looked at Xiao Mo with a smile. "What a splendid, handsome young man of letters! Say nothing yet, my ministers—I shall examine him myself first!"
For an ordinary scholar the palace examination lasted at most the burning of a single stick of incense.
But Xiao Mo stayed in the great hall a full hour.
After Xiao Mo left, the ruler of Qi looked at the men around him. "I take it none of you, my ministers, has any objection to this session's zhuangyuan?"
Midway through the fourth month.
The residence of the Qingshan County magistrate.
Magistrate Sun was in the courtyard, brewing tea and teasing his bird.
"Master! Master!"
Just as Magistrate Sun was adding water for the parrot in its cage, a servant came stumbling and crashing into the yard, startling the bird into several flurries of wings.
"What is it? Barging in like that—you've frightened my bird!" Magistrate Sun scolded.
"Master! Someone's come from the imperial city!"
"From the imperial city? Did they say what for?" Magistrate Sun jumped in fright, thinking, I've never really embezzled much, have I?
"Master, they say they've come to commend you! That Xiao Mo from your county—he's swept all three examinations!"
"What!" The Qingshan County magistrate was overjoyed. "Good, good, good! Quick, take me to the envoy from the imperial city!"
But halfway there, the magistrate suddenly called out, "Quick, get a big red horse ready, and big red flowers—we'll parade the zhuangyuan through town!"
"Um... Master... the zhuangyuan hasn't come to the county town."
"Hasn't come to the county town? Where has the zhuangyuan gone?"
"He seems to have gone back to his village."
"Master, I'll send men to fetch the zhuangyuan right now."
"No need." The Qingshan County magistrate gathered his sleeves and looked toward Sheshan. "The zhuangyuan won't be coming these next few days, I expect..."